A Time of Forgiveness
by WishesofImmortality
Summary: WyattxOC. Wyatt's relationship with his family has always been strained, but he could always count on Chris to be there for him. All of the sudden, Chris starts acting worse than the rest of his family. Then a girl shows up who can change it all...
1. Chris the Enigma

**A/N: Hey everyone! Well – I recently got back into my Charmed phase, and I decided to come back to this fic. Yay! So, I was re-reading since I didn't remember a thing I had written, and realized that it sucked. So, I edited. A lot. And now, I'm re-posting. Woo hoo! This is the first chapter – more an introduction than anything else, but the actual plot will kick in soon. But first, let me catch you up to date. **

**This fic takes place in the changed future. Chris went back to save Wyatt and succeeded, dying in the process. When he turned 22, the age he was when he went back in time, he got all the memories back from his previous life, because the two people caught up with each other. If that doesn't make sense, I'm horribly sorry, but this timeline crap confuses the Hell out of me, and that's how I think it would work. Wyatt doesn't remember anything, because evil him never existed, because Chris, the alternate timeline Chris that merged with the changed Chris, saved him. Piper, Paige, Phoebe, and Leo remember him coming back to save Wyatt, so really, Wyatt and his younger sister Pru are the only ones who don't know what might have happened. **

**Ok, confused now? You'll make it, I promise! Happy reading! Oh, and please, please review!**

Chris slid through the magical defenses shielding the demon's lair, holding his breath as to not be heard. Wyatt stood just behind him, knowing that his little brother needed to do this on his own. This whole escapade was his idea, not Wyatt's. But just in case, Wyatt was there, ready to defend his brother. Just like always – even if Chris didn't want his help anymore.

Ever since Chris's last birthday – his twenty second – he had been acting… strange. No, that word was too kind. Chris had been acting like a dick, but just to Wyatt. Everyone else in his family was safe from his hurtful words and the cold shoulder he threw at Wyatt all the time.

Wyatt was used to the fear, the avoidance and the defensive words that came from everyone else. His mother and aunts were the only ones besides Chris that could bare to be in a room with him for any period of time without freaking out. And even the Charmed Ones and their ex white-lighter could barely suppress the shiver of fear, the feeling of being _lesser_ than the twice blessed being standing in front of them. But Chris… it never bothered him. He was Wyatt's rock, his salvation and shrink, through those times.

But now, Chris hated him, for no apparent reason, and Wyatt could feel his control slipping. Every time someone looked at him with fear in their eyes, every time someone physically flinched away from his touch… it was another chink in his armor. But he still loved Chris, and tried relentlessly to talk to him. Wyatt thought if he could just find out what had happened, what he had done wrong, he could fix it. He was supposed to be the strongest freakin' source of good magic in the universe, damn it! But what good would it do if he couldn't even fix his relationship with his brother?

The Red Eye demon registered Chris's presence just in time to see it's demise flying toward it in the shape of a vanquishing potion. It combusted on the spot, goo flying every which way. One of his flunkies shimmered and reappeared behind Chris; Wyatt tensed, ready to fly into action to defend his brother.

It wasn't needed, however. Chris orbed out of the demon's reach, reappeared in a flurry of lights slightly to the right, and squinted at a conveniently pointy rock. The rock shot into the air and into the demon's chest, piercing it through the heart. The lower level Red Eye went up in flames, and was vanquished.

"Nice one, man!" Wyatt congratulated his brother with a forced smile. He would be nice to his brother if it killed him – who knew? Maybe that was all it would take to bring back the Chris he knew.

Chris turned his face, just enough so Wyatt could see his eyes roll. He orbed out immediately after, presumably returning to the Halliwell manor.

Wyatt began to follow his brother, but something registered in his vast sensory powers. "You will stay away from my brother," his empowered voice rumbled through the cavern, "or you will join the Red Eyes. Take your pick." He hated that he had to back up Chris's work, especially in a way he could find out about it later. But Wyatt didn't want his brother to die before he had a chance to make amends… or ever, actually… so, he did what he had to do to keep the demons away so he wouldn't have to show Chris up. He didn't need any inferiority issues.

No voices called out to challenge him, so Wyatt orbed home, trying to keep his mind on positive things. His aunts and mother could still be around him; the only way he knew about their reticence was from his telepathic abilities. The abilities he hated. They were the ones that were hardest too block off – probably, he wouldn't even know about most of his family's fears regarding him. Which would be amazing. Too bad he couldn't figure out how to turn it off.

"How did it go?" Their mother, Piper, greeted them. She was cooking, as always. An ex-chef, Piper Halliwell was always in the kitchen, something the boys didn't mind at all. Demon fighting made them hungry, but really – they were guys. They were always hungry. Currently, she was baking cookies – peanut butter, Wyatt's favorite.

Piper knew very well how Wyatt was feeling. Her oldest baby was totally alone, now that his brother had started ignoring him. That trip to the past was really wearing on Chris – not that Piper wasn't happy he made the trip… but now that he had all of his memories had resurfaced, Piper did wish that there had been some way to keep the memories from the alternate timeline from catching up with him. Wyatt wasn't and had never been evil, and he did not deserve to be treated like Chris was treating him now – especially when no one else would even talk to him. Her boys had always been so close – it was killing her to see them now.

"Chris took care of it." Wyatt said carefully, trying not to antagonize his brother further by making it seem that he was deliberately assigning credit to baby him. Chris didn't even acknowledge his presence.

"Did you figure out who they were working for? Your sister is still too young to deal with this, we can't have them coming back."

"Hey!" Thirteen year old Prudence Halliwell ran into the room, the frown on her face showing how angry she was. The demons had come after her, and Piper had freaked out. Her baby girl had just developed her powers, and now demons were attacking right and left. This one had gotten the closest. Pru's arm was still bleeding, courtesy of a fireball.

"It was a Red Eye," Chris said. "He was some lousy low level. It was pathetic. Can I have one of those?" He grabbed at a cookie, but Piper smacked his hand away, grinning good-naturedly.

"No! Those are for dessert tonight, so keep your paws off!"

"I am not too young to fight demons! I am the same age Chris was when he started fighting demons! Thirteen isn't young!" Pru brought the conversation back to herself. However, when she gestured with her left arm, a grunt of pain took over her tirade.

"Heal this, would you? It kinda hurts." She was clearly talking to Chris, Wyatt noticed. She didn't even make eye contact with him. Wyatt bit the inside of his cheek, hard, to keep any of his pain to spill over into words… or worse, magic. Pru would be fine, Chris would make sure of that. Why should it matter who healed her?

"Sure thing, kid. Come over here." She moved over to his side so he could hold his hands over the wound. A soft yellow light bathed the rift in the skin, sewing it together easily. Chris wisely avoided the demon vanquishing subject, not wanting to piss either his sister or mother off.

Pru's face regained color quickly, and she stepped away from her favorite brother to stretch out her arm, testing its dexterity. "Thanks, Chris!" She said enthusiastically, bouncing up to hug him. A beam of sunlight shined in the window onto her face, giving her an angelic glow.

To Wyatt, it made perfect sense that Pru would want to fight demons. Both of her brothers, and her parents, cousins, and aunts, fought demons. Well, most of them, anyway. But it really wasn't the best idea just yet. When Pru had been conceived, Leo had been mortal, rather than white-lighter or Elder like he had been when Chris and Wyatt had been conceived. Pru was still one of the most powerful witches in existence – with a catch. She was a weather-witch. Weather control powers took years longer to manifest than standard powers, the hope being that the more mature the recipient was mentally, the easier it would be to control the powers.

However, Pru had never had the best control over her emotions, and was having an extremely hard time learning self control as a result. Piper refused to let her come into any contact with any demons until she learned, and Wyatt understood that sentiment completely.

"Mo-om, are you sure I can't –"

"Prudence Alivia, you will not be fighting demons until you can control your powers. We have had this conversation a million times before. After you get through magic school, we will talk, but until then…" she left the sentence hang threateningly, and left the room.

"Hey, buck up, kid." Chris ordered, chucking his younger sister under the chin. "You'll get there… and you know the best part of being a Halliwell?"

"What?" Pru stared up at Chris with open admiration.

Chris gave a roguish grin. "The demons come to us."

The two chuckled in camaraderie, and Wyatt was done.

He stormed out of the room. He was angry at himself, and at his brother, and Hell, Pru too. She always went to Chris. Wyatt barely existed in her little world, and she liked it that way. Why couldn't she see that he would never hurt her? Why couldn't she see that she was his family, and he loved her? And Chris – he needed to get over himself. Wyatt didn't even know what he did to alienate him – for God's sake, none of it made sense!

"Piper! Where are you? We have a situation." Phoebe Halliwell's voice penetrated the quiet of the house, and all of the Halliwell's in residence ran out to greet her – nervous excitement penetrating all of them.

"Phoebe? What's going on?" Piper's voice rang out from the sunroom, a little breathless as she ran into the foyer. Wyatt made it there first, as he was already on the stairs, headed up to his room. Pru ran in shortly after, Chris on her heels. They all heard the panic in their Aunt's voice.

"All of you out." Piper said calmly, turning to her children. "Let your aunt and I talk, and we'll fill you in later."

Pru started to protest, but Wyatt clasped a hand on her shoulder and began hauling her out of the room as Chris followed behind. Pru wrenched her shoulder away from him, walking a little faster to escape his presence. Wyatt's stomach tightened, but he kept moving like he hadn't been bothered.

"Not you, Wyatt. Stay." Phoebe's voice called from behind them. Wyatt felt Chris tense behind him, and Pru whirled around to glare.

Wyatt closed his eyes against the condemnation he could feel coming from them with his empathic powers, and turned to face his aunt.

Piper smiled pityingly, and gestured him over. "Let's go in the sitting room, shall we?" She took his hand and led him in.

"Paige! Get your butt over here!" Phoebe called into the air, summoning the final Halliwell sister.

Blue and white sparkling lights announced Paige's arrival. "What? I was teaching the girls how to orb."

Seven year old twin girls, Cara and Cecilia, stood behind their mother, peeking out around her legs. They were very shy, and treated Wyatt like a pariah.

Piper knelt down beside them and said, "Why don' t you two go into the playroom with Pru and Chris? Maybe he'll help you with orbing." The girls grinned and ran to find Chris, who they loved.

Wyatt ground his teeth, wishing that, just once, some one would rather spend time with him, and not his brother. Wishing that, once, someone wouldn't fear him, and would hold his hand.

"You know Terra, right?" Phoebe began the conversation. The other's nodded, wondering where this was headed.

"She died this morning, I was there. When she was dying, she told me something, and now I feel like it's my responsibility to do something about it." She stopped and took a deep breath.

Piper took the opportunity to interject herself into the conversation. "Terra died? Oh, that's terrible! Her poor daughter! She's what, nineteen, twenty? I know she's around Chris's age..."

Phoebe shot at look at her older sister. "Yeah. Anyway, she's the Acquirer." The sisters' mouths dropped open, and Wyatt cocked his head in confusion.

He couldn't help but ask, "What?" He had been in the underworld almost daily for a week, listening for rumors of new demons. Could this Acquirer be one? By his family's reactions, she was a powerful one. Would she be a match for even Wyatt's might?

Piper explained. "The Acquirer. She is said to be one of the most powerful beings in existence. All she has to do is see a power used, and she can do it too." At Wyatt's gasp of surprise, she looked at him.

"The power can go either way, though. Good or evil. If she turns evil, we'll all die." Phoebe cut in. "And Terra knew that. She asked me, us, to take the girl in."

As her announcement rang through the room, Wyatt sensed his brother and sister leaning against the door, and the twins listening too. He decided not to say anything-- maybe that would earn him points.

"What does that have to do with me?" Wyatt asked suspiciously, looking from one timeless face to the next. He wasn't going to play evil to convince this girl to be good. He had enough people thinking he was evil.

"The girl just got her powers, and she's scared. See, Terra was the Acquirer before, and the powers are passed down through the generations. And since you know what she's going through…" Wyatt stopped listening.

Oh, yeah, he knew what she was going through. The instinctive shudder whenever he walked by, the little flinch a person gave when he touched them, the fear everyone felt when he walked into a room.

No one should have to go through it alone. He would help the girl however he could.

"I'll help." He said finally. "Where will she be living?"

"Here," Piper said. "If she's going to need your help, it'll be the easiest way." The unspoken finish to that sentence rang in Wyatt's mind. _And that way, you'll have someone to talk to. You won't have to be alone… she'll understand exactly what you're going through._

Wyatt ignored his mother's pointed thoughts and turned away from her. "Ok. That's easy enough."

"So, that's it?" Paige asked. "'Cause if it is, the girls and I really gotta go. I told Henry we'd be back," she checked her wristwatch, "An hour ago."

Piper and Phoebe nodded, and Wyatt and Paige both stood to leave.

"Hey, Wyatt? Can I talk to you?" Paige requested hesitantly. "It won't take long." At his nod, she gave a sigh of relief and began to walk into the kitchen.

The twins, at that moment, orbed into the room. "Hi mommy!" They squealed excitedly. "Look! Chris showed us how to move farther!"

"Did you thank him?" Paige asked sternly, after congratulating her daughters and embracing both of them.

Cecilia's eyes widened. "No – come on, Cara!" They orbed out of the room again, presumably to find Chris. Wyatt ground his teeth, but managed to keep his mouth shut.

Paige stared after them, bemused. "Come on, Wy." She led him into the kitchen, sensing that she wouldn't want to have this conversation in front of his mother.

Auntie Paige put a hand on Wyatt's arm, her warm eyes looking up at him apologetically. "I'm really sorry about the way the girls treat you. You're just…" She trailed off, wondering what would be appropriate to say in this context.

"Terrifying?" He intoned bitterly. He knew it was the truth, but that didn't stop the revelation from breaking his heart.

Paige looked at her brightly colored heels, ashamed. "To them, you're the big scary guy who kills demons in their room. They don't understand that you were just protecting them, or that you care about them. They just know they saw you kill someone."

And they couldn't possibly have got that idea from their father, could they have? Wyatt's jaw clenched. He had never thought that saving them would scare them more – but Henry had, when he came bursting into the bedroom just as the Tracking demons went up in flames.

"It's not just them, Aunt Paige!" Wyatt exclaimed exasperatedly. "If it was, I think I could understand because of Uncle Henry's feelings on the matter. But it's everyone! Chris hates me, Pru resents me, and even you and Aunt Phoebe are afraid – not that it stops you from being around me or touching me, but seriously!" Wyatt held up a hand against Paige's argument. "Aunt Paige, I'm empathic, remember? And telepathic. I can tell. Don't worry, I don't hold it against you… you ignore it. But Uncle Henry won't even come here unless I'm gone, Uncle Coop cowers in a corner when he does, and all of your children are terrified to even talk to me! They don't have a problem with Chris, even though he's as freakin' twice blessed as I am, and --"

Paige hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "Everything will work out, you just have to be-"

"Patient, I know. I keep telling myself that, and before Chris decided I was some horrible monster, he did too. I keep thinking that if I show them I'm not scary, or a showoff, that they'll warm up, but I've been doing that for such a long time that I'm sure it's not working!" Wyatt shook his head, as if to clear it.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from. Give my best to Henry." _Even though he won't believe it. _He added to himself as he strode from the room.

"Addy will be here tomorrow, Wyatt. Get some sleep. You'll need it." Phoebe's voice floated up the stairs after him.

_Addy_. He repeated the name to himself. It was a nice name, obviously short for something. He wondered what.

He fell onto his bed, staring up at the swirling designs on the ceiling. He, Chris, and Leo had painted the room together, back before things had started going wrong. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he began to dream.

_He ran through the Underworld, searching. Where could she be? Fireballs flew this way and that, hitting him occasionally. He felt no pain; he had to find her, and for that, he couldn't be weak._

_Out of nowhere, he heard a scream. Her scream. He ran towards it, praying that she was alright. He fell into a hole, it seemed like he fell forever. When he hit the ground, all of the air was knocked out of him with a loud WHOOSH! _

"_Wyatt!" Her voice screamed his name, panic coming from every angle. _

_He rolled himself over just in time to dodge a dark lighter arrow. He rolled to his feet, and began to throw power at the dark-lighter. It kicked the power back; it was much to strong to be simply a dark-lighter. Then, out of nowhere, an arrow hit him. All he saw as he fell was her face, devoid of hope. _


	2. Meeting the Girl

**A/N: Hey again, guys! Don't get used to these speedy updates… I never update this quickly. But really, the first five-ish chapters of this story are already written, so all I'm doing is adding stuff and tweaking the old stuff, so I can get it done faster. I actually might be able to put up another chapter tonight… depending on how many other things catch my attention. We'll see… and by the way, how many people reading are writing future fics featuring Chris and Wyatt? I'm addicted to fics like that at the moment, and have already read at ton of them, so if you know of any good ones, let me know, please! Just leave it in a review or PM me. And that brings me to… please review? Well… that's it for now. Enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions about the timeline or anything else, let me know. **

Wyatt's eyes shot open to escape the nightmare. He tried to swing his legs out of the bed first, but Piper must have checked on him during the night, because there was a blanket tangled around his limbs. Imagine that – he was almost twenty five, and his mother still checked on him nightly. It was the kind of thing that would have embarrassed him had he had a girlfriend… or even guy friends. As it was, though, it was just nice to know someone cared.

The clock on his desk read eight thirty, later than when he usually got up. He carefully disentangled himself from the bed clothes and went to the adjoining bathroom to change clothes. When he came out, he was freshly clad in a pair of jeans and a band t-shirt, his shoulder length blonde hair was combed and lying straight on his head, and his face and teeth were cleaned.

As he was leaving his room, his powers kicked on. He could sense a powerful magical entity in the manor below him. It wasn't quite as strong as he was… but it was close. The knowledge sent a chill down his spine… until he remembered the girl that was coming today. The Acquirer.

He forced himself to stroll casually down the stairs, not run in excitement. There was no guarantee that this girl would like him. There was no guarantee that she wouldn't be scared to death. There were no guarantees in life, as he had learned when Chris had turned on him. He had took that relationship for granted, and look where it had gotten him.

That thought sobered him immediately, and he could say with utmost certainty that he did not look too excited when he walked into the kitchen where the power was coming from.

His parents and Aunt Phoebe sat around the table, a girl of about his age across from them. They all looked up when he entered, and he very pragmatically turned off all magical abilities that would tip him off to something he didn't want to know—like fear, or any sort of deception coming from his family. He was clinging tenuously to control, and that might just cause that last thread to snap.

"'Morning, Wyatt. There's coffee on, if you want it." Leo called from the table, his graying head nodding towards the coffee maker on the counter. Leo and Wyatt could talk now, which was nice. When Wyatt's powers had matured at eighteen, he thought his father would never speak to him again. But over time, with a lot of prodding from Piper and Chris, he had taken control over his mortal impulses and channeled more of his old white-lighter self, who knew that his son would never hurt him.

"Sounds good, thanks Dad." He grabbed a mug from a cupboard and filled it, avoiding sending any glances towards the table to belay his discomfort.

"Anyone need a refill?" He asked, feeling better after he took a gulp of the caffeine filled liquid.

"I would, if you wouldn't mind." The girl's soft voice said. She looked up at him with a smile, her face pale and tired. But loosing a parent would do that to anyone, Wyatt supposed.

He took the mug from her outstretched hand, taking a moment to memorize her face.

She had small, plain features, and large, expressive, brown eyes. Her hair was dark brown, and she was rather short. When she stood, he'd guess she'd reach about his chin. And she was a little overweight, that much was obvious. But the weight seemed to give her more curves, rather than make her look fat. Her chest was – well, perfect – and he imagined her behind would be, as well.

He cleared his throat and looked away, face burning. He poured the coffee and handed it back to her, taking a seat by his mom on the other side of the table.

"Everyone else still sleeping?" He asked, stretching lazily. He hadn't slept all that well the night before, and what sleep he had had been in a very awkward position.

The girl's eyes trailed down face and body as Piper nodded, obviously liking what she saw. It had been a long time since Wyatt had been checked out like that – when his powers had been completely matured at eighteen, everyone that used to like what they saw kept their eyes down when he passed. He knew he was relatively attractive; everyone in his family was. But it didn't do any good for him anymore – it had been almost three years since he had had a date with someone other than a demon.

That thought still embarrassed him – he had been terribly lonely, and accepted a date with the first girl who had asked him – who turned out to be a demon that he had vanquished in the middle of the street. She had wanted his power, of course, like every demon did.

Well, they could have it, Wyatt decided bitterly, as the girl opposite him tore her eyes away from him quickly and turned back to Phoebe. Great. Another one who was scared. So much for her being even with him in power.

"Wy, this is Addy. Addy, this is my oldest son, Wyatt." Piper introduced them, oblivious to the interchange. She was thrilled with the girl – Terra had raised her well. In fact, Addy reminded her a great deal of Wyatt. She would be good for Piper's lonely son, she could tell just from meeting her and seeing her interact with him.

"Nice to meet you." Addy looked back up at him, holding out her hand. That surprised Wyatt… no one touched him voluntarily aside from his mother. Especially when they had just avoided eye contact with him out of fear – it was a little naïve to think he'd just forget about it, wasn't it?

But he couldn't refuse her hand in front of his family – his mother would kill him, at the very least. Warily, he took it, but nearly dropped it as a strong force propelled him into her thoughts.

He walked through the last few moments; from when he had walked in until he had taken her hand. She had been following him with her eyes the entire time he made and drank coffee, talked to his family and reigned himself in. She had looked him over, checking him out, until he caught her, when she had glanced away in embarrassment. Somehow, she had overcame this embarrassment – even though she saw herself as unattractive – Wyatt was pulled out of that train of thought quickly – and held out her hand when they were introduced. There was a thrill of fear, but it had been easily suppressed, and then, she had somehow read his mind, cluing her in to why he had seemed to reticent to touch her, which lead to this little jaunt down memory lane.

The knowledge made something in his chest ease. _Are you done poking in my head, now?_ A voice asked acerbically into his mind.

Shit. She was telepathic, too. Wyatt's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. "Uh – I, I mean,"

Addy laughed, a short, tinkling noise. "Oh, relax. I let you in – my walls are usually a lot harder to breach than that." She dropped his hand, realizing that she had been holding it through the entire exchange. They both stared down at their now empty hands in surprise.

"But didn't you just get your powers when your mom died?" He demanded, tactlessly. Then, realizing what he had said and how he had said it, he backtracked. "Uh, I mean – I'm sorry about your mother, but didn't you just get your powers?" It still wasn't exactly polite, but it was a lot less cruel.

Addy looked down. "Thank you, but I knew it would happen eventually, as I've been telling your family. They seem to think I'm going to break down any second." She smiled ruefully.

The older generation had edged out of the room a moment ago, so the young people could speak freely. Phoebe had engineered the escape – reading the emotions when the young people clasped hands.

"They know what it's like to lose someone important to you." He said somberly, thinking about Bianca, and their old friend Billie.

" I know they mean well, but it's just easier to not think about it. If I think about it…" She trailed off sadly. "Anyway, I've been telepathic my whole life – it was my only active power. The rest of them I couldn't use until mom died, you're right. But I've been developing my mental shields for my whole life."

"Why did you pull me in, then? Most people like mental privacy." Wyatt gave her a pointed stare, hoping that she understood that he was one of those people.

Addy shifted her weight uneasily. "You looked like I had killed your puppy or something, so I peeked a little. Then when I figured out what it was, I let you peek so you didn't get any more stupid ideas." She hesitated a beat before finishing, "Sorry."

Wyatt gave her a half smile. "Don't be. Now we're even. Maybe we should both stay out of each other's minds for a while, though." He suggested, making it sound more like an order. He was destined to be the King of the Magical world – and technically, he supposed, he was. He had Excalibur, he just didn't use it – and he was used to giving orders more than asking.

Addy nodded in agreement, not even cowed by his bossiness. "Good idea. But you're going to have to put up stronger blocks if you want to keep me out; I can't help hearing what you're thinking if you're broadcasting." She said bluntly.

"Uh – I'll work on it." Wyatt said in surprise. No one, demon, witch or other, had ever been able to read his mind before – it was a major perk of his power. Addy must truly be near to his level of power if she could breach his wards without even trying.

"Ok." She agreed, and they stood there in an awkward silence.

"Hey, Addy?" Wyatt finally said, unable to handle the silence.

"Hmm?"

"I was checking you out, too. So that whole, ridiculous, self consciousness thing… it should disappear." Wyatt knew he was pushing it, but it had to be said, since they both knew that he had seen it. Apparently, even the Acquirer was liable to slips in mental shields when someone was already in her mind.

The dark haired woman looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's not quite that easy… and apparently, you've been women starved. You're desperate – I mean, dates with demons?"

Wyatt turned red, instead of getting angry, thankfully. "Uh – well, I can't deny that. But you are beautiful."

When Piper popped her head back in the room, her son and her guest where both blushing furiously. Wisely, she chose to ignore it and continue one with what she was going to say. "Addy, hon, everyone's going to want to meet you, so we're having a giant dinner here. Why don't you see if you can get my son to take you shopping and out to lunch? There's obviously some things you're going to need since your place was kind of a lost cause. Just make sure you're back by six. Dinner's at seven."

Wyatt gave an easy grin, and nodded at his mother. "Sure thing. Come on, Addy." He took hold of her arm and led her out into the hallway.

"Shouldn't we have offered to help?" The Acquirer asked pointedly. "That was rude. Your mother is going to think I am rude." The funny thing to Wyatt was, the girl was actually serious.

She glared as he laughed at her. "Addy, no, she is not going to think you are rude. Mom hates it when people go in her kitchen. Chris is the only one who is allowed to help her with the cooking, unless we're making potions. Plus, don't you want to find some clothes that aren't ten sizes too big for you?" It was true – the t-shirt she had on was hanging down to her knees, billowing out and causing her to look heavier than she actually was. And the sweatpants – well, let's just say it was a good thing they had drawstrings.

"Point taken. Let's go shopping!" She was excited at the prospect of shopping – her mother had left her more than enough money to get her through college and whatever else she wanted to do, so shopping didn't seem like a big deal.

Wyatt groaned good- naturedly and led the way out the door, feeling better than he had in months.

The boardwalk was crowded, but not for Wyatt. That was the first thing Addy noticed when she was with him; everyone went out of their way to give him his space. He rarely noticed it, but when he did, she saw his jaw tighten. It hurt him to be ostracized like he was, constantly. Even by his family!

That was one of the main things she had noticed while seated in the Halliwell Manor. Wyatt was the guy to avoid – even if you were his father or aunts. It wasn't terribly noticeable… she doubted Wyatt even did, going by his thoughts – because compared to the way his brother treated him, it was nothing.

Her question, though, was why everyone seemed scared of him. She admitted it freely… being close to him had sent a chill down her spine – but only for an instant, until she looked up into his amazingly blue eyes. They were glazed with emotional pain, sure, but the sense of goodness, what was right – it was there, too. And she seriously doubted that it would ever go away, no matter how much he was hurting.

"Let's go in here!" Addy said excitedly, looking into the window of a small boutique. "They have those awesome tops that have the glitzy belts…" she disappeared into the door, seeming not to care whether Wyatt came or not. But she had a plan – she was going to draw him out of his shell and make him see what she saw. And with her mother's stubbornness, she knew she'd be able to do it.

Wyatt waited patiently while she tried on outfit after outfit. He scanned the area repeatedly, knowing that his mother had sent him shopping with Addy for more reasons than getting him out of the manor. There were bound to be scads of demons after her. She was the another powerful source of magic that could be swayed either way – just like him, which made Wyatt the best to protect her.

"Wyatt? What do you think?" Addy came out of the dressing room and spun around, showcasing one of the glitzy tops she had mentioned, and a pair of black pants, complete with a big, eighties belt and hoop earrings. "The top might be a little tight… I should probably admit that I can't fit into a medium, but –"

Wyatt raised a hand, swallowing the lump in his throat and smiling. "You look great." He said finally, after looking her up and down. She really did.

Addy's face broke into a grin. "Thanks. Then I guess I have an outfit for dinner. Yay!" She clapped her hands childishly and disappeared back into the racks of clothes for more outfits and accessories, all of which were modeled for Wyatt's approval, which the witch- lighter found amusing. Even when he had been young enough to appear unthreatening, he had never gone shopping with anyone but his aunts. And the aunts had definitely never asked his opinion on anything – he was just a little kid at the time.

"Ok, this is the last one. It's a little formal, but I figure I can wear it to mom's – I can wear it on Wednesday." She changed her phrasing carefully, so she didn't bring back any bad memories. Today was a fun day.

Wyatt was confused for a minute, until he remembered. Wednesday was the day of Terra's funeral. He had totally forgotten; luckily he remembered in time to prevent himself from asking tactless questions – he really needed to work on that character flaw.

Addy emerged one last time from the dressing room, this time wearing a flowing black dress. The neckline showed just a little cleavage – it wouldn't be appropriate for a funeral if it showed any more – and stopped just above her knees, also appropriate. It had quarter inch sleeves with a little black lace sewn in strategic places, making the woman in it look like an avenging angel.

Wyatt was quite honestly speechless.

"Wyatt? Wyatt? Wyatt Halliwell! Ok, Mr. Twice Blessed, you are freaking me out!" The Acquirer put her hands on her ample hips angrily, waiting for her companion to stop staring at her.

"You are definitely getting that dress." Was all he said before getting up and walking outside to wait for her.

Addy stared after him, smiling slightly. She didn't think that she had ever had that effect on anyone before, and she found that she quite liked it. He was right… she was definitely getting that dress.

So, a few hundred dollars later, she took the path Wyatt had out into the San Francisco sunlight with eight outfits and that dress banging against her thigh in a plastic bag.


	3. Understanding

"Holy shit! It's already four o'clock!" At her shock, Wyatt had to smile. "How did it get to be so late? It takes almost an hour to get back – we're gonna have to eat fast." She whined. "I'm fat for a reason! I like food!" she gave an adorable puppy lip, making Wyatt laugh out loud.

It was a nice change, Addy decided. Wyatt was too serious all the time, and seeing him smiling and laughing was much better than his typical surly countenance. Maybe she should be self-deprecating around him more often.

"Ok, one – you are not fat. At all. You're not stick-like or anything, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's not attractive at all. And second, relax. I can always orb us if I have to – we can come get the car later. We aren't going to be late." Wyatt rolled his eyes inwardly at her pessimism and bad outlook on herself, but laughed at her worries.

"Orb?" She asked with a puzzled expression. "Isn't that a white-lighter power?" She very wisely ignored the fat comment, thinking that would have to be something they agreed to disagree on.

Wyatt stared at her. "Uh-huh. I got it from my dad… twice blessed, remember? I've got white-lighter powers and witch powers. And some others. You know this, right? I mean, you said twice blessed back in the boutique –"

Addy was staring, making Wyatt uncomfortable. "Uh, well – I knew about that part, just now the whole white-lighter thing."

"Oh." The witch-lighter shifted his feet awkwardly. "Well… I guess you know now."

The girl finally came to her senses and realized that her awe was making Wyatt nervous, so she quickly changed the subject. "Yup. So, do you think you could teach me how to orb? I've never seen anyone do it before, and I'd really like to have some kind of transportation power. It would be so much more convenient."

Wyatt relaxed. "Sure. But for now," he held open the door of a restaurant, "let's go eat." Somehow, she had known he didn't want to have that conversation. He wondered off handedly if he should be reinforcing his mental walls – but then he realized that he kind of liked not having to explain his feelings to her. It was nice, after a lifetime of talking.

"A table for two?" The smiling maitre'd didn't look up from his table chart.

"Yes please." Addy answered, after Wyatt didn't. She looked at him questioningly, but he shook his head, not wanting to get into it.

The truth was, if Wyatt talked, he knew that the poor host would end up running away in fright, and Wyatt wasn't exactly sure if he could take that today – Addy seeing him scare someone away. That would most likely change her opinion of him, and he didn't think he could deal with that.

But fate was clearly against him. The man looked up, and his smile died on his face. "Uh – Mr. Wyatt! I didn't think… Mrs. Halliwell did not say… Uh, right this way." He led them forward, careful not to come in contact with Wyatt. Apparently, fate was also against Don – the nametag proclaimed this name in rainbow colors – because as he started to hurry away, Wyatt was sliding into the booth, and their shoulders brushed together. The man immediately stiffen and hustled away, running away without even telling the couple that their waiter would be out.

Wyatt closed his eyes, willing the pain away. That was just a random stranger. It did not hurt anyone in the least when he ran away. Addy didn't need to see him break down… that might be just the way to send her running, which would be bad.

Unfortunately, the girl was very perceptive. "Why does everyone do that to you? First all of the people on the boardwalk avoid looking at you, and go out of their way to stay out of your way, and the cashier at the clothing store, and now the maitre'd. Why?"

Wyatt exhaled slowly. "They sense my power. I'm 'twice blessed', supposedly the most powerful magic user out there, remember? Apparently that means that I'm going to kill everyone that dares look me in the eye." The bitter words poured out of him, making him tell this almost perfect stranger what he had tried to keep secret, even from his own family!

"Everyone avoids me, or shakes when I come into a room. But they don't do that to you. How?" It was his turn to ask a question.

Addy's expression became thoughtful. "I'm not sure. I haven't had my powers for long, only two days. Maybe it takes a while to manifest." She smiled. "But, for the record, I don't think you're very scary."

"I know a few demons that would disagree…" he chuckled tauntingly. "And, unfortunately, a few mortals." His chuckled died in his throat as he finished the statement, and soon, he was in as dark of a mood as he had been last night.

"Stop that." Addy demanded. "You need to stop thinking like that. You are not scary, you just need to show everybody that." She really wasn't thinking ahead as she spoke, though she should have seen his next question coming.

"Oh? How exactly do I do that?" he asked acidly. "I've been trying for years – since I was eighteen. No one except Chris and the aunts ever believed me." Great, now on top of being in a dark mood, he was angry. Not exactly what Addy had been planning on when she had brought the subject up.

The waitress, naturally, chose this moment to show up. "Good afternoon. My name is Cathrine, and I'll be your waitress today. What can I get you to drink?" She hadn't looked at Wyatt yet – her eyes were focused on Addy, almost as if she had been warned not to look at him if she could help it. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have a Coke." Addy said, and looked at him.

"I'll just have water." He said quietly, staring intently at the tabletop as to not scare the waitress. His mom had a hard enough time keeping servers here; Wyatt worked here occasionally to help her out – these shifts usually had every waiter working with him quit the next day.

Catherine's eyes widened as they fell on Wyatt, and she took an involuntary step back, nearly tripping over one of her stiletto heels. "I'll, uh, be, uh, right out with those." She stammered, and almost ran back into the kitchen, her blonde hair streaming out behind her.

Wyatt let out a weary sigh, and put his head in his hands. These occurrences were becoming more and more frequent, and he was beginning to wonder if he should just become a recluse and live in the attic for the rest of his life, where no one had to see him.

To his surprise, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up, and stared straight into Addy's eyes. They seemed to share his pain, and relief rushed through him. Not that he was relieved, but, physical relief, relief from the pain.

"It's harder for you than you let on, isn't it?" She said gently, probing with her eyes. Wyatt supposed he was going to have to tell her eventually, as much as he didn't want to. She'd end up figuring it out on her own… she was good enough. And if he didn't tell her, someone else would, and most likely, it wouldn't be the truth, especially if Chris ended up doing the telling.

Wyatt just gave a weak smile. "They can't help it, so I don't blame them."

Addy had had enough of the dank atmosphere. "So, that girl's boobs were so fake. For some reason, it's always her kind that broadcast their thoughts so I can't block them out. And, she's sleeping with three separate guys, thinks she's pregnant, and she can't figure out who the daddy is. I'd say it serves her right that she almost pissed her pants when she got a look at you. That poor kid." She shook her head sadly, hoping that it was clear she was joking.

Wyatt busted out laughing, making her happy. She was right – she just had to keep him laughing, and the pain seemed to fade right out of him. So, that was her plan. Keep him laughing. Keep him happy.

A new waiter came back with their drinks. This one was apparently made of sterner stuff, and just stared at Wyatt, a look of indecision on his face.

"I'm Alan, Catherine had to leave, so I'll be your waiter for the remainder of your stay, Mr. Wyatt. I'm so sorry, he's new." The day manager said by way of explanation. This happened almost every time Wyatt came to The Power of Food; it didn't really surprise him anymore.

"Don't worry about it, Alan." Wyatt sighed and waved the man on.

Addy's eyes had narrowed in confusion, but she held off her questions until the waiter had taken their orders and left. The menu was impressive, she had to say, but something weird was going on here.

"Mr. Wyatt?" She asked suspiciously. "What the Hell?"

Wyatt smiled sheepishly. "This is mom's restaurant." At her look, he shrugged. "Best food in San Francisco." He added, as if that made up for everything.

Addy rolled her eyes and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Men!" which made Wyatt laugh again – causing her plan to succeed, at least for the moment.

The rest of lunch passed without incident, and soon it was time to head back to the manor for dinner.

"So, we definitely need to orb," Wyatt said, checking his watch. "Come on – the car's locked, so it'll be fine. It's a good thing we didn't put your bags in there, though." He stood up and extended his hand tentatively.

Addy grabbed it without a second thought and let him lead her outside.

"There's an alley over here… come on." He tugged her into the dark alley. "Ready? Hold on tight." He wrapped her arms around her and there was a tugging feeling as their bodies dissolved into hundreds of shimmering blue and white lights.

"Oh, holy shit. That was… whoa." Addy exclaimed the second her feet hit the ground in the manor's foyer. "Is it normal to be dizzy?" She took a careful step, but tripped anyway.

Wyatt laughed as she grabbed on to the table in the hallway to keep standing. "You'll be fine in a minute," he promised, still laughing. It felt good to laugh – he hadn't been doing it much lately. "Orbing takes a while to get used to."

Addy shook her head to clear it. "Ok. I'm good." She took another step, this one less wobbly. "Yup. I'm good." She clarified, this time making her way across the foyer without falling. "But I do not like orbing. At all."

They laughed together.

"Mom?" Wyatt called as they walked into the sunroom. There was a loud bang in the kitchen, and Wyatt was pulling his new friend towards that room before his mother responded.

"Kitchen!" Piper called, bent over to pick up the pan she had dropped – the source of the loud bang.

Addy seemed to be in heaven. "It smells wonderful in here!" She exclaimed, looking around the kitchen at the various dishes spread out across the counters and stove.

"Thank you." Piper said with a smile. Cooking was one thing she took pride in.

"Did you two have fun? Where did you go?"

Wyatt and Addy gave her a ten minute account on their day before giving their excuses so that they could go and get ready for dinner.

"Wyatt, would you show our guest where she'll be sleeping? There are some more clothes that were salvaged from your house, and a few other items that magic saved." Piper told them, managing not to sound guilty for using magic for personal gain. This girl had lost everything because of magic, she deserved to have it save some things, at least.

"Thank you." Addy said, smiling sincerely. Wyatt couldn't help but smile at her happiness, making him wonder what it was about her that made him smile so much. He hadn't wanted to smile, let alone laugh, yesterday, but now… well, he was pretty happy. But then again, he hadn't seen Chris all day. But he was feeling optimistic, so – why ruin it now?

The guest room had been made up for Addy last night, after Piper had decided that she would be staying with them. Clothes had been put in dresser drawers, and stuffed animals littered the bed. And Ipod lay on top of the bureau, along with a CD player and a case full of CD's.

"Oh my God!" The nineteen year old Acquirer screeched, running to the bed. "They saved my stuffed animals… how… oh, God!" Tears were coursing down her face as she scooped up a giant stuffed polar bear and crushed it against her face.

Wyatt shifted his weight uncomfortably, unsure of how to act around a semi-hysterical woman. This kind of scene wasn't exactly something he had been privy to growing up; he had been raised by the strongest women in the world, as far as he was concerned. 

Addy seemed to sense his discomfort and gave a weak laugh. "Sorry – these are kind of my weak spots. Mom used to make fun of me all the time because I wouldn't get rid of them. She said they made me act like I was still five years old." She smiled reminiscently.

"Well, now you'll have them to remember her by." Wyatt said carefully. "Mom and the aunts are pretty good at picking things out that mean the most."

Addy smiled. "I can tell. But you'd better go get ready, so I can too. Dinner's in about forty five minutes."

Wyatt nodded and turned to leave.

"Hey, Wyatt?" He turned back around at the sound of her voice. "I'm sure your family will come around. You're a really great guy." She said sincerely, her eyes big and disillusioning.

The witch-lighter flushed. "Uh – thanks. That means a lot."

Addy made shooing gestures. "Go, go. I'm just telling you the truth – don't thank me. Get going." She turned and began lifting the hem of her shirt pointedly.

Wyatt hustled out of the room and down to his room to change, the flush on his face seeming permanent around that girl. He couldn't remember a time he had ever flushed that much – it was ridiculous.

He didn't bother getting to dressed up for dinner – nobody would look at him anyway. He pulled on a blue polo shirt and a pair of khakis, and was good to go. Well, until he looked in a mirror and realized his hair resembled a haystack. The shoulder-length blonde mass was a pain, to be sure, but he felt like it was an important part of his character and refused to cut it. He ran a comb through it and made it lie straight, telling himself that he wasn't just trying to look nice for Addy. That definitely wasn't it.

He descended the stairs, catching wisps of the conversation below between two of his aunts.

"I'm telling you Piper, I saw it! She's going to fix things… or at least make them better. Not that they can get much worse, but still –" Phoebe ranted to his mother, excited about something.

"And your visions are subjective, remember? We can't guarantee anything like that." Piper's ever pragmatic voice said calmly.

"But he's going to fall in love with her!" Phoebe continued, refusing to be deterred by her sister's sour attitude.

"Who's gonna fall in love with who?" Wyatt asked interestedly, announcing his presence.

"Oh, my little Ladybug's got an admirer." She said vaguely, looking nervously in his direction.

Wyatt's brow wrinkled bewilderedly. "Lizzy? She's only ten!"

Phoebe waved a hand dismissively. "In the future, Wyatt. Keep up here." She changed the subject quickly. "Where's Addy? You didn't forget her somewhere, did you?"

"Aunt Phoebe, that was one time! And I was only twelve! It was not my fault that Chris decided that he didn't want to come home with me… I didn't forget him!" Wyatt had left his little brother at the mall, ONE TIME, and they never let him forget it.

"Anyway," Piper interjected. "No, he didn't forget her, I saw them when they came back."

"Well, then where is she?" The ever-impatient Aunt demanded.

"Getting ready. I think she's kind of nervous… our family can be a lot to handle." Wyatt explained, leaving out how he knew this. Addy hadn't exactly told him, but she had been emotional enough while they were in her room for her shields to fall a little, and he had got a glimpse into her mind.

Phoebe nodded understandingly, thinking that she knew exactly why the girl was nervous. Her premonition had told her exactly what was going on, and she couldn't wait until it came true. Wyatt was so lonely, and she hated to admit it, but that made him… foreboding.

"Where's Uncle Coop and the kids?" Wyatt asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face.

"In the living room." She said.

Wyatt nodded. "I'll go in the dining room then." And he walked away.

Piper sighed. "I'm worried about him, Pheebs. He's so alone. He and Chris don't even talk anymore. Not since he came back from the past."

"He'll be fine, Piper. Addy will make sure of that."


	4. Visions of Doom

**A/N: So, in this case, my misfortune becomes your good fortune. We were supposed to be getting a new puppy today, but someone else took him, sadly. So, instead of spending time with a puppy, I'm updating this story. Yay! Ha. Anyway, I'll probably update at least twice more this weekend, so you have that to look forward to. We're getting to a pretty big point – it'll probably next chapter, or the one after. Ok, I think that's it… please review when you finish reading, and I'll talk to you next chapter!**

**~addictedtotwilight**

That night, the Charmed Ones and their families gathered at the Halliwell Manor to greet their newest family member. The Acquirer was going to be welcomed as a Halliwell, which meant a lot of food, a lot of hugging, and a lot of talking. Mostly talking, probably, Wyatt figured – Addy didn't really seem like the touchy-feely type.

Apparently, she wasn't the 'being on time' type, either, because after everyone had arrived, the guest of honor still had not put in an appearance.

"Where's Addy?" Phoebe asked the general assembly, glancing around, as if she suspected the girl was hiding somewhere behind the hordes of family.

Wyatt was just about to orb up to her bedroom to see what was taking her so long when his mother popped in from the kitchen, saying, "She'll be down when she's ready, Pheebs." Piper assured her. "Why don't we all sit down in the mean time? Dinner should be done in another half hour." She disappeared back into the kitchen, where an alarm had just buzzed.

"Wyatt? Where's Addy?" Phoebe leaned towards him conspiratorially. "She's not hiding out, is she?" She giggled, making Wyatt laugh. His aunt could be such a child sometimes – she never failed to make him laugh, even if she didn't trust him to watch her kids.

"Nah. She's a girl, remember? They take forever to get ready." He rolled his eyes playfully. "And then, she'll come down and expect us all to 'ooh' and 'ah' over her, just like you do to poor Uncle Coop and the girls." Wyatt laughed – a noise that was cut off as soon as Coop's arm shot out and wrapped around Phoebe's shoulders protectively. His eyes were narrowed suspiciously, and if he were a dog, his hackles would be raised.

Wyatt backed off, hating the fact that a scornful voice in the back of his head was whispering that Coop was barely magical at all – Wyatt could kill him in seconds. Maybe he was suicidal? Seriously – if he was so damn scared, one would think he'd know better than to piss Wyatt off.

"Coop, knock it off, damn it!" Phoebe hissed, glaring daggers at her husband. "You're being an ass. Wyatt –"she grabbed his hand and made to continue, until a premonition nearly knocked her out of her chair and onto her ass.

_Addy knelt beside Wyatt's still form, tears falling from her eyes in a steady torrent. Blood oozed from a wound in Wyatt's stomach, and a dark-lighter arrow lay nearby. Blood on Addy's hands – clearly not hers, since she was bleeding from no visible source – suggested she had pulled it out, but was at a loss as to what to do after that._

"_Wyatt, you have to be ok. Please, please." She pleaded, tears coursing down her face. "Come on. Come on!" she began to get angry – her voice grew louder and began to shake from the emotional strain. __"__Damn it Wyatt, we're supposed to be the strongest magical beings in the world, remember? Twice blessed? Ringing any bells? Why the Hell can we save everyone but ourselves?" _

_Phoebe's oldest nephew struggled to open his eyes and look up at her. One hand rose shakily to touch the Acquirer's cheek; to stroke it lovingly. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely. "So sorry." He coughed, sending the shakes tearing through his body. __"__I love you." Wyatt's voice croaked. His head fell back, eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling of the cave they were in. _

_Addy's bone-chilling wail swept through the Underworld like wildfire, sounding death to the demons._

"Phoebe? Oh, God. Phoebe, get up." Coop's frantic voice tugged Phoebe back into consciousness right in time. "What did you do to her?" He growled at Wyatt, letting go of his prone wife's hand to glare at his nephew in law.

"He didn't do anything, Coop. And I suggest you stop glaring at my son before I curse you." Piper was standing right behind her sister, hands on her hips, dark eyes narrowed angrily. "Pheebs? You all right?"

The middle sister nodded and stood, ignoring her husband and the stares of the rest of the family. Paige was on her feet, ready to help with anything, Henry had his hand on Coop's shoulder, talking quietly to the incensed man. All the younger children were staring openly from Wyatt to Phoebe and over to the men, but Leo was the one that bothered Wyatt the most. He wasn't looking at any of them – simply staring out the window, a worried expression adorning his wrinkled features.

"Um… is everything all right?" Addy's voice cut in awkwardly during the stare down.

Wyatt spun around, nodding. "Yeah. Fine. I'm going to the bathroom… I'll be right back." He pushed away from his mother and aunt, his jaw clenched and stride clipped as he left the room.

Addy stared after him, her jaw setting as she took in the scene. She had spent so much time getting ready to impress this family – working hard to make her hair cascade down her back in perfect curls, putting on the glitzy belted shirt and straight-legged pants she had bought at the boutique earlier, and picking out the perfect accessories and make up to wear – why had she bothered? They treated Wyatt like shit; they didn't deserve her time.

"You disgust me." She said intensely to the room at large, careful to avoid Wyatt's aunts in the angry statement. "Seriously. This isn't high school – shouldn't you be past these inferiority complexes? God." She stormed out of the room after her friend, finding him slouched over in the hallway near the bathroom, head in his hands, his blonde hair falling down around them in tangles.

"Hey, you," she cooed softly, sitting down beside him. He didn't even bat an eyelash when she spoke, but Addy wasn't deterred. "You know, I think this outfit is a little too revealing for a family party. I knew I should have gone with the purple one." She eyed him. "Maybe we should have been shopping for you, instead though. You look like a hobo."

Wyatt couldn't help the snort that sputtered out of his mouth – and of course, Addy heard it. She refused to understand that he wanted to be alone for a few minutes before he had to be back in the center ring, facing a family full of fear. He just needed to collect himself, so that no one got hurt.

"Ha. See? You know you need new clothes." Wyatt looked up at her, tired of the games. He just wanted her to get to the point so that he could go back to wallowing.

Addy's words died in her throat at the wildness of Wyatt's eyes. They were still their typical icy blue color, but now there was a tempest of hurt and anger raging behind them. She could honestly almost empathize with those who saw this man as scary, just because of that look in his eyes. Of course, she squashed that thought immediately.

"What is it that you want, Addy?" Wyatt asked quietly, his voice intense with suppressed emotion.

The woman sighed, shaking her head. "Well – I want a lot of things. But right now, I really want you to come back out to dinner with me. They're just being stupid, Wyatt. I was in Coop's mind just now, to find out what happened – his magic has confused him so much where you're concerned – you wouldn't even believe it. But you know this, right? You read his mind?"

Wyatt shook his head, finding himself curious at whatever Addy had figured out while in his angry uncle's head. "I try to block off all of my family members. It makes life kind of difficult if I'm constantly in their heads. They hate it." He shrugged, knowing that they weren't comfortable around him already. "I didn't want to make anything worse. What was Uncle Coop thinking?"

"He wasn't thinking it, exactly – I read between the lines. His magic is weak – he's just a Cupid, right? He's got that stupid 'heart' power, and insight into other's love lives, and that's about it. Well, those powers sense yours when you walk in, and they put him on the defensive immediately so he doesn't get scared. It's pretty damn stupid, if you ask me – just another way for your powers to be out of control." Addy shook her head in disgust.

Wyatt looked thoughtful at this revelation, but ultimately decided to ponder it later, when he had time and the energy to think. Right now, he was too emotionally drained for that kind of thinking. So he stood up and stretched, and , like the gentleman he was raised to be, offered Addy his hand to help her up.

"Ready to face the music?" She murmured laughingly. She knew something he didn't, Wyatt gleaned from her encrypted thoughts.

"What is it?" he demanded quietly, not wanting the entire household to hear their conversation.

Addy bit her lip nervously. "Well… I might have said something – right after I came downstairs, you were storming out of the room, trying not to lash out at anyone, and I may have – uh, lost my temper and said a few things. To everyone aside from your aunts, because your aunts are fine. But the rest of them… well, let's just say they probably don't like me much."

**Earlier, in the dining room after Addy's explosion….**

Piper stared after the girl and her son, her motherly instincts warring with her witch ones. Eventually, the witch ones won, and she called her younger sister over, demanding to know what she had seen.

"Paige, kitchen." Phoebe ordered, dragging her older sister with her. Her face was still pale in the aftermath of the vision, and her hands were shaking.

"What did you see?" Paige asked worriedly, grabbing a towel off the counter to wipe the sweat off of Phoebe's forehead.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "Wyatt, dying. Addy was there, and a dark-lighter arrow. And she was crying, and cursing, and then he said he loved her. And then…" She broke off, unable to continue.

Piper fell back against the counter, her hands gripping the top of it so hard that her knuckles were turning white. "No. No." she shook her head vehemently, her hair flying every which way. "That won't happen. I won't let it. Leo! Get in here, now!" she yelled in the direction of the dining room, her hands already moving towards the cabinets containing the potion ingredients.

"What is it, Piper?" Leo came into the room, calming her with his very presence. Her hands quieted and she stared at him for a second, right before breaking into tears.

"My baby!" she sobbed into his chest. He had pulled her into his arms in a split second, and she just leaned there, sobbing. "My baby!"

Paige looked out at all of the assembled people, knowing the Piper was about to get very loud, and began reciting a sound blocking spell.

"_Powers far, powers near, block the noise, don't let them hear."_

Leo stroked his wife's raven hair, looking bewilderedly over her head at her sister's for some sort of explanation. "Piper, nothing is going to happen to Pru –"

The eldest Charmed One shoved away from her husband's chest, her eyes sparking in fury. "Not Pru, Leo! Wyatt! Phoebe just saw him _dying_!" Her voice rose several decibels, making Paige and Phoebe glad of the spell.

Leo's face paled considerably. "What?"

"Do you even care, Leo? Do you? Do you even care that our first born child is going to get shot by a dark lighter? Or do you think we should just let him die – just like Gideon?" Piper's tirade went a little too far, and she could tell immediately after she spoke. Leo let go of her and stepped away, his face turning to stone.

"Is that really what you think of me, Piper? After all of these years… you could think that about me?" His voice was low and full of grief – and Piper and both her sisters could hear it.

"No, I don't. And that's why I was so hurt when you ignored him out there when Coop was basically accusing him of hurting Phoebe! What the Hell? I know things have gotten harder – he's so powerful now – but that doesn't change a damn thing! He's still our son, he still loves us… why are you treating him that way?" Piper seemed to have forgotten Phoebe's vision, temporarily, in her haste to get this information that had been eluding her for months.

"I don't want Chris to feel betrayed, so soon after he got those memories back. He needs more support than Wyatt does right now." Leo explained frustratedly. "Wyatt's strong. He'll be fine – but if Chris thinks no one understands where he's coming from, or that we all back Wyatt instead of him, we'll lose him!"

Piper sagged. "Ok. I get that. But do you have to hurt Wyatt to do that for Chris? Maybe we should tell Wyatt the truth… after we save his life. Ok Pheebs… did you see the demon? Do ya think a potion will do it, or maybe a Power of Three spell?" She was suddenly all business, set on saving her son, no matter what the cost.

Phoebe shook her head sadly. "I didn't see anything, unfortunately. We know it was a dark-lighter, though, but that doesn't really make sense… Dark-lighters should know better than to attack Wyatt by now. Unless he was working with someone else?"

"But who would hire a dark-lighter to try and kill him? Most demons want to steal his power." Paige interjected. "Book of Shadows?"

"Not the best idea, right now." Leo disagreed. "We'll keep a close eye on him tonight – but we don't want to scare all of the children. Let's just go through with dinner, like planned, and when they all leave, start demon hunting?" He sent his entreaty to his wife, knowing she was the one he had to convince.

Piper considered it for a second, then nodded. "Fine. But if anything happens to him…" she left the sentence hang threateningly and went back to the dining room, wiping her eyes as she went.


End file.
